Aasha Singh Jaiswal, India's First Female Mimicry Artist, Dies At 83

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Aasha Singh Jaiswal spent decades doing something almost nobody else in her field was doing: throwing her voice into someone else's, and making audiences believe it. She died in Mumbai on 22 August, at around 7:30 pm, at the age of 83.

Photo Credit: Facebook: Aasha Singh

Her son, Akkash Bharadwaj, confirmed the news on social media and later spoke to ANI, describing his mother's cremation at Pawan Hans Crematorium in Vile Parle West on 23 August. He remembered her deep commitment to her work and life, describing a philosophy that encouraged people not to grieve death but to embrace it as a journey towards divine bliss. Family and close relatives attended the final rites.

The Voice Behind The Voices

Long before mimicry became a staple of reality television, Jaiswal was building a career out of it, in an industry that barely had space for women in the form. She was recognised for recreating the voices of prominent personalities, with her imitation of legendary actress Meena Kumari counted among her most noted performances. She was widely regarded as one of the pioneering women in Indian mimicry, a field traditionally dominated by men.

Her son's tribute leaned on a simpler description. He called her a hardworking "iron lady" and asked people to pray for her soul while continuing to watch and remember her work.

Jaiswal's screen career ran across both film and television. She was known for playing Krupi - wife of Guru Drona, sister of Kripacharya, and mother of Ashwatthama - in B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat, one of Indian television's most enduring epics, appearing alongside a cast that shaped a generation's understanding of the mythology.

Beyond The Screen

Jaiswal's work didn't stop at performance. She founded Aasha Events and Films, a venture involved in organising cultural programmes and events, and stayed associated with social welfare and community initiatives through much of her later life. Those who tracked her career describe a woman who moved fluidly between acting, mimicry, entrepreneurship and social work - rare range for any performer of her generation.

Reports on her exact age have varied slightly across outlets, but the bulk of confirmed reporting places her at 83 at the time of her death.

Aasha Singh Jaiswal built a career on inhabiting other people's voices, in a field that gave women almost no room to try. What she leaves behind isn't just a filmography or a title - it's the quiet proof that a woman could lead in mimicry decades before anyone thought to ask if she should.